Science & Innovation Officer HEO at British Government

Roles and responsibilities:

• Responsible for strengthening and broadening bilateral science and innovation collaboration between the UK and Ghana, with a regional watching brief over West Africa. To promote collaboration, diplomacy, people to people links and inform UK policy development in science and innovation. You will:
• Develop high quality and sustainable UK/Ghana science and innovation partnerships that focus on UK and Ghanaian priorities, including developing and maintaining a network of senior level contacts across the UK and Ghana research landscape;
• Act as focal point for delivering UK Government science and innovation strategy; manage information on science and innovation work and lead on science briefing and reporting for Ghana.
• Develop and expand the UK relationship with Ghanaian research, innovation and funding bodies;
• Work closely with the Research and Evidence regional research hub and FCDO communications specialists to leverage and amplify the UK’s research investment and partnerships, promoting evidence-based policy making and the development of Ghana’s research landscape and partnerships.
• Support wider UK prosperity objectives, including higher education and linkages in the digital sector. Spot and work with Department for International Trade to match opportunities to UK firms
• Provide support to senior UK Government officials and the UK research base regarding the Ghana science and innovation environment; supporting VIP visits;
• Identify opportunities, develop and manage bilateral projects (these might be regional in nature) in order to increase collaboration opportunities for the UK science base;
• Support efforts to promote visibility and HMG coherence on science technology and innovation. This includes  convening and  supporting cross-mission meetings of science-focused specialists.
• Support and facilitate UK, global and Ghanaian science partners in delivering objectives on Open Science; Science and Media; and other cross cutting priorities
• Support UK science and innovation projects and programmes through monitoring, advice, networking and communication.
• Resources managed (staff and expenditure):
• You may be required to manage small projects, these are unlikely to have a budget of more than £50,000.
• Essential qualifications, skills and experience  
• Degree in a scientific/technological discipline or significant (5 years) work experience in a science/innovation role;
• Be able to work quickly and reliably with attention to detail and with limited supervision;
• Excellent written and spoken English;
• Strong IT computer skills including MS Word and Excel;
• Good presentation, interpersonal and representational skills,
• Good communications skills – amplifying and landing targeted messages to key stakeholders;
• The ability to initiate , maintain and exploit a wide range of working relationships;
• Strong organisational skills and project management experience;
• The ability to deliver results under pressure;
• Project management experience.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• Policy development
• Experience of working with Ghanaian scientific research organisations and/or an understanding of research funding in Ghana;
• An understanding of the UK science and innovation landscape;
• Experience of working with UK research organisations.

Required behaviours  

• Seeing the Big Picture, Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together